Paul bloody Dix

[phlebasconsidered]

Our school has just gone over to his system. It's a nightmare. Things were already bad and now they are getting worse. I get the feeling it's just a cheap way to bung all the responsibility for behaviour at teaching staff. It seems all fancy trousers and no knickers at our school. Students already enjoying the freedoms it allows and I literally don't have time to do that amount of restorative conversations.

Can it work? We've all been given the book (great earning for Mr Dix) and have to watch a shit ton of videos but it seems like we are on our own.

I would be very interested to hear from others as I feel overwhelmed by it right now. It especially isn't working with our alternative provision kids who are 40% of my timetable. They can just manipulate too much and they need the strong boundaries.

Supply teacher here. My heart sank when one school told me the “3 rules”. I was surprised when I googled them because someone on the TES chat room had been positive about Paul Dix.

I didn’t stay long in that school. I guess from the amount of shouting from middle leaders it wasn’t religiously followed.

I think it is a way of offloading responsibility.

I read a few days ago that only 12% of parents think obedience is important for children. Paul Dix’s system might work if that figure was 100%…..

I have just read this. I think some of his strategies are great for parents and primary school teachers. But no way would I try it in a secondary!!!

I feel the same way as everyone else. Also, when we had the long long training day he asked who was the psychology teacher (me), asked me what was going on in a clip, I told him and he said I was wrong (I wasn't!) in front of all staff. A ripple ran through the room, many people formed a judgement of him, I've not forgotten. We were never asked to feedback on the "training"...

It's ridiculous. All this softly, softly approach is a load of rubbish. It doesn't work. The world is going mad and so is education. The children clap their hands together and just take advantage. My school is run by an old school male headteacher in his sixties, who refuses to entertain any of this rubbish. We shout at the children when it's deserved, there are consequences, parents are stood up to, and SLT stand up for the teachers, even telling parents that they either accept the rules here, ot they take their children elsewhere. But I know it's a rarity, having seen other schools being destroyed by children running a mock, usually under naive young headteachers brainwashed by all these new ideas.

Can it work! Not in my experience, no. I’m every school I’ve witnessed it in, behaviour has deteriorated rapidly. There needs to be a return to clear boundaries and sanctions instead of this bollocks.

I'm of the believe that most things like this have the potential to work. However, I don't see how this system can work in large secondaries where budgets are so stretched there isn't the time. If schools were smaller and timetables lighter (meaning in turn a higher teacher:student ratio) it might just work. Massive behaviour policy changes also work better if you're starting a school from scratch.

And *belief not believe. It's half 6, the kids are watching Pokémon already and I'm distracted (and a little embarrassed!).

Joined current school at Easter - they’re basing their (non-existent) behaviour policy on Dix’s ideas. It’s a shambles and I’m miserable, the kids know they can get away with things without consequence. I’m leaving at Christmas.

In my experience the approach is great in prep schools where behaviour is generally great and you want to cut out low level disruption. But that's it. It just doesn't go far enough in majority of schools.

I like the front line, positive first approach but you need real, consistent consequence and a chat doesn't cut it most of the time. It's also unrealistic to expect these robot, always overly cheerful teachers (who in reality are in very full-on, demanding environments).

I prefer Michaela School no nonsense, no wiggle room and very clear rules to be honest.

He's responsible for a lot of damage done to behaviour in UK secondaries imo. If a school wants to lose all their staff in the middle of a recruitment and retention practice, adopting his philosophies is a very effective way to go about it. It's usually implemented by SLT who don't have the balls to actually do something about behaviour themselves. I have very little respect for those of that ilk and Mr Dix.

*crisis, not practice!

I used to work in behaviour. I always say that there are elements of what Paul says that works (relentless routines, meet & greet) and there are elements of what Tom Bennett says that work.
Schools have to listen to both ends of the spectrum and use elements of each ideology that work for their staff and pupils.
Wholesale Paul Dix is, in my experience, great for about 2 weeks and then steadily declines to chaos. On the other hand, a wholesale Tom Bennett approach would bring you to the attention of OFSTED through your data which is why you have to take a measured approach.

Balance is so often key

Interesting. My school (primary) is full on PD. I too was wondering g if anyone could vouch for its success . I know there are many PD haters out there so I'd love pleased to hear from the supporters.
Behaviour in the past in my school has been pretty awful at times, but I might be seeing a glimmer of hope this year as the children who are used to the system go up the school. I'm watching with an open mind.

It’s an absolute pile of wank. We attended a whole day/whole school (inc dinner ladies) training with him and it was like watching a cult leader at work.
After a few years blustering around with his methods, our new Head set about implementing Ready to Learn (one warning before removal to R2L room plus other sanctions, restorative chat if possible afterwards) which utterly transformed our classrooms.

Thank god it's not just me. It's another nail in the coffin for me. I am on EPM daily right now and considering leaving teaching altogether. Paul Dix plus tiny budgets and a freeze on moving up payscale is enough for me to leave a 20 plus year career right now. I can't even pee today as every bloody break minute is taken up with restorative conversations!

It's not just you. It's not cutting the mustard in primary either. See also figit toys in lessons.

Why would a Tom Bennett approach bring Ofsted to your door looking at data?

I think i've ALWAYS done bits of Dix i've always done the meet and greet. Even 10 years ago. I've always had something to do the minute they walk in. I've always used the room, my body, my placement to keep on top of who is doing what.

But what I have not done, until now, is have to assume responsibility for dealing with the worst behaviours because now I have to deal with it myself instead of sending it upwards.

I am no worrier at dealing with behaviour- much of my timetable is in alternative provision and that is very rough. I have many strategies based on years of practice and knowledge of SEND, SEMH and just teaching for as long as I have. But this strategy seems to me to be about cutting. Put the onus on the class teacher and SLT are freed up. Now they need to do nothing but tell teachers to do better. Cheap, isn't it?

It's soul destroying.

@ValancyRedfern he advocates for exclusion when necessary. 'When necessary' is subjective and a high level of suspension or PEX would flag on your IDSR meaning that when OFSTED risk assess you, this could prioritise you for inspection.
They would probably be particularly interested in schools with high levels of suspension/PEX for PDB because it can indicate that there isn't the behaviour infrastructure for early identification and mitigation of risk.

Christ it's awful. Our trust was interested but have quickly gone over to a much more Tom Bennett style. Teachers do not have time for endless restorative conversations. Kids do not give a shit about them anyway. Get out of there if you can. It absolutely is a way of putting extra work on teachers. It will also ruin the school.

This nearly ruined my school a few years back, I have never been so close to leaving teaching. Behaviour was appalling and you were alone and totally unsupported.

Thank god the school saw sense and binned it, we've now got a much stricter, more centralised system, and behaviour is much better as a result.

Don't get me started on this. We are on week 4 (primary school) and behaviours are a joke!

It's laughable really and I can see many leaving our school asap 😫

@noblegiraffe - what system did you change to?

With a robust behaviour management system it's hardly ever necessary though. Also with a Paul Dix approach results go through the floor as you lose so much lesson time to bad behaviour, so Ofsted would be after you for that too. My school has finally rowed back from Pivotal this year after behaviour and results last year hit a real low, behaviour has already improved markedly. It's such a relief!